Undertale: Chronicle - 10 - New Game
by TheOriginalTale
Summary: Where one possibility ends, another one begins. Another chapter in the Undertale: Chronicle saga
1. An Old Ally

In that moment, if time was even a concept here, Frisk came to accept the dark truth. Originally, he had believed absolute silence to be a paradise. Just him, alone with his thoughts. But the unfortunate reality was that ultimate silence is not calming or mesmerizing. It's terrifying. The silence itself was crushing, so inescapable that even the screaming of his own thoughts were drowned out by it. He felt cold. Afraid. Alone. He felt...vulnerable, for the first time in so many years. Was this how Chara had felt? Or Asriel?

Despite this, there was nothing Frisk could do. All he could do now was float through the thick sea of nothing. The sea that just continued to drag him deeper and deeper into the abyss, and he allowed it to slowly drown him. The reset had failed. There was no kinder way to put it. It had, quite simply, failed. Frisk couldn't understand it. When he pushed the button, he had been jerked down into the abyss. The pain from the nuclear clouds enfolding him had vanished, as had the pain from his wounds, yet whether they still marred his body was a mystery to him, because he wasn't able to see anything.

Here he floated numbly. It took him a scant few seconds, only that, to lose track of time. The eeriness was enough to drive one mad. Was this the afterlife? Had he really reset in time? Perhaps there was no heaven, there was only this hell, this endless purgatory.

Something grabbed the collar of his shirt, tugging him further down. This, though, felt different. It wasn't the void pulling him, but rather some_thing_ else. All at once, he felt himself slipping from the abyss, into...somewhere else. He gasped, stunned at how loud noise was after the silence. It was still quiet, but the quiet was no longer unnatural. He looked around, searching for whatever had rescued him from insanity, but immediately stepped back when he saw exactly what it had been.

"Y-You…"

The Riverperson gazed calmly at him, cloak seeming to blend in with the darkness. As if he had been forged by it. Now, though, Frisk couldn't feel angry. He just felt weak. He shook his head, the tears flowing free once more.

"Why? W-Why was the point of all this? What do you want from me?"

The Riverperson heaved a sigh. "Come with me. There is something that I wish to show you, something that is long overdue."

A long-forgotten feeling, childish curiosity, bubbled in Frisk's chest, and so he began to follow.

"If you believe that I wanted all monsters to be killed, then you are sorely mistaken. I want nothing more than for my people to live back on the surface in peace, and harmony," the Riverperson began. "Unfortunately, being a sentinel, there is not much I can do to prevent it. Time tends to find a way to work around any obstacle, one way or another, and sooner or later it will always catch up. As a sentinel, it is of course my job to preserve this timeline, and ensure that the ultimate outcome is always reached. But, I am of course not allowed to simply… 'tell' you this ending."

He stopped beside a pool of murky water. Frisk approached.

"So...the war...it's...it's always…"

"The war is doomed to happen, no matter what you do. That is time's ultimate design," the Riverperson finished. "Look into the pool."

Frisk glanced up at him, then peered down into the pool. Ripples creased outward, and he blinked as he suddenly found himself staring through a sort of window. He saw a monster that looked much like Asgore, shaking the hand of a human king. The monster looked so familiar…

"This was Asgore's grandfather, Ausgrid. He was the one who created Xavier's Law. He knew there would be disastrous results if monsters started absorbing human souls willy-nilly, so he put a stop to it before it could truly begin. This is what delayed the original conflict between humans and monsters."

The ripples fluttered again, and now he saw a slightly different boss monster, locking blades with...a different kind of monster? Frisk frowned.

"Asgore's father, Asgrid. This was the battle to end the Paral Civil War. There were some monsters who believed the humans would take advantage of monsterkind, and come forth to destroy them. Asgrid did not believe this. Or at least, he did not want to. He put down the insurrection. How ironic is it, that those so-called terrorists...would end up being correct. But by beating down these monsters, Asgrid once more prolonged the calm before the storm."

The image shifted once more, and now he was shown a burning city in the distance, and in the foreground a crowd of monsters being led away by a much younger Asgore.

"The War For Humanity. The war that was supposed to end monsterkind. This was a fight that the monsters lost. And yet, they still won. They escaped to the Underground, and in doing so, rebuilt themselves in preparation to one day return. They would be later exterminated by the humans of today."

Frisk looked up to him. "I...I don't understand."

The Riverperson sighed. "Frisk, there is something that all of these incidents have in common. In every single one where monsters prevailed...I was there. Intervening. Pulling strings. Trying to prolong the inevitable. I spoke directly with Ausgrid before he implemented Xavier's Law. I disguised myself within Asgrid's head, guiding him to make the right decisions. I did the same to Asgore, subtly guiding him to the Underground. In the end, this war was inevitable. But I needed to delay it to ensure that the right person came along to change it. That person...is you. So as I had intervened all those times before, I am intervening now."

Frisk felt a headache growing. "But...I don't understand...why me?"

The Riverperson chuckled. "You are the only human that has ever had, or ever will achieve, the strength to turn back the clock."

"But, you said that the war is inevitable! What do you mean change it?"

"I said the war was inevitable. That is true. I did not say this outcome was."

Frisk blinked, pieces slowly clicking together in his head.

"But...But my reset! It didn't work! Remember?! I got stuck in...whatever that place was!"

The Riverperson nodded. "Indeed. You have _lost_ much of your strength from the hardships that you have been forced to endure. Yet, you will go back armed with the knowledge of what happens next. You must use that to give them every advantage. I will help you to reset the board. But bear in mind, this is not something I will be able to do again. After this...you will be on your own."

Frisk nodded, feeling hope slowly starting to kindle. But something caught him.

"Wait! Why...Why are you helping me? I mean really?"

The Riverperson stood still. Then he reached up, slowly pulling his hood back. Frisk's jaw dropped when he saw who it was, stumbling back. Ausgrid reached out with a furry paw, clasping Frisk's shoulder with a warm smile.

"Because the future is never set in stone, despite what we may believe. Now _WAKE UP_!"

Frisk heaved in a breath, his feet touching down on flowers. He gazed around, struggling to find breath. Through his blurred vision he could just barely make out the cavern walls of the ruins surrounding him, the bed of golden flowers soft beneath him. He wasn't able to see much more, as the ground rushed to meet his face.

* * *

A quiet humming resounded throughout the walls, echoing with her footsteps as the monster walked peacefully through the halls, armed with a watering can. Toriel stepped into the clearing, approaching the bed of golden flowers, then paused as she saw an extra lump amidst them. She dropped the can, sprinting forward, then fell to her knees, scooping the child's head up to gaze at his unconscious face.

"No...no, no, no...not another…"

She closed her eyes, her hand glowing a soft green. She passed it over his body, panic rising in her as the child did not wake. She stared at her hand, before standing up, carrying the child with her. As she raced back into the Ruins, she failed to see one of the flowers turn its face, watching as she disappeared into the darkness.


	2. Familiar Faces

Toriel sighed, reaching into the oven. Unbothered by the heat, she pulled the casserole, setting it down on the stove. She dusted her hands off, before carrying the pan into the kitchen, setting it down on the table. But upon taking a seat, she found she wasn't hungry. She stared thoughtfully at the second plate set on the table across from her. Shaking her head, she rose and walked down the hall, opening the door to the spare bedroom.

Inside, she gazed at the child, still asleep in the bed, showing no signs of waking. She quietly closed the door, leaning against the wall. A distant thump echoed through the house. A smile spread across her face as she walked quickly downstairs. She reached the door just in time to hear the familiar voice.

"knock, knock!"

"Who is there?"

"etch."

"Etch who?"

"Bless you, my friend."

Toriel sat down, leaning against the door as she giggled.

"Hello, Sans. That was a new one!"

Sans's voice chuckled from the other side, calling back. "yeah, I found this old joke book lying around, been doing some 'research,' I guess you could say. here, here I've got another. knock knock.

"Who is there?"

"voodoo."

"Voodoo who?"

"voodoo you think you are, asking so many questions?"

Toriel found herself chuckling again. "That is a good one."

Several moments of silence passed, and then Sans spoke again, sounding concerned. "hey, uh...you alright lady?"

Toriel glanced over her shoulder at the door. "Uh...yes, everything is fine."

"you sure? 'cause...usually those kind of jokes have you rolling. not to mention, you sound a little down. c'mon, I thought friends told each other things!"

Toriel gave a heavy sigh. "Sans, it is nothing major...at least, I do not think it is."

There was another span of awkward silence. When Sans's voice spoke again, it had lost its comedic spark.

"is the reason you aren't telling me because I'm a sentry?"

Toriel took a deep breath. "You are a smart one. Alright, I will tell you. But...if I do, you need to promise me. _Promise_ me, that you will not tell anybody about this. Or at least, anybody that might use this information to do harm."

She glanced back again as Sans took a few moments to respond. Muffled by the door she heard the sound of grunting and snow rustling as he stood.

"alright, I promise."

Toriel felt her heart race. She stood up, turning around and pushing open the door. For the first time in so long, Sans and Toriel came face to face. Sans took a couple steps back, his eyes widening in shock when he saw her.

"t-toriel?! i knew that voice sounded similar but y-you're...we all thought you were d-dead!"

Toriel huffed. "I will explain it all later. But if you want to know what is bothering me, you will follow."

She turned around, starting to walk back down the hall. Sans glanced back to the forest, muttering something under his breath before following Toriel inside. As she led him further into her home, Toriel began to explain.

"About a week ago, a...human child fell into the Underground. Strangely enough, this child was miraculously uninjured by the fall! At least, not by anything that I could see. But, this child was still unconscious when I found him. I have done what I can but...he still has not woken up."

Sans frowned. "i...see…"

He looked around the home as they walked back up the stairs.

"This kid...can I see him?" Sans queried.

Toriel glanced down at him through narrowed eyes. "...Yes. But I will be keeping an eye on you."

He raised his hands defensively. "i know, i know." She turned down the side hall, before cracking open the door. Sans glanced inside. The skeleton shivered, a chill running through him. He backed up, pushing two fingers up against his skull, groaning as a headache ran through him. Toriel blinked.

"Are you alright?"

Sans took a deep breath, before shaking his head. He looked urgently to her. "No. No I'm not. Did you notice anything...else about him? Even a feeling? Anything?"

Toriel stare at him in shock. "Nothing that I can recall! Why, what is-"

Sans was already walking away. "It's too difficult to explain. Listen, you need to stay here, and whatever you do, do _not_ let that kid out of your sight!"

"Where are you going?!" she called after.

"To find out what's going on here!" Sans barked back.

Toriel rubbed her hands together, looking back inside to the sleeping child.

* * *

Sans had to force himself not to run as he entered the Snowdin village, zeroing in on his house. He was so focused on his destination, he barely noticed when Papyrus called out to him.

"Oh, hello Sans! Such a pleasure to finally see you out and about!"

The skeleton brushed past his brother, heading around the back of the house without saying a word. Papyrus tried to follow.

"Uh, brother? Are you alright?"

Sans stalked into the shed, locking the door behind him. Once inside, he walked to one of the work tables, picking up a rock and setting it down in another corner of the room. A familiar hum echoed around as the hidden door slid open, allowing him access. Sans walked through, turning to face the machine. He stood rigid with what he saw, mumbling to himself.

"that ain't right…"

A new line had appeared, one that hadn't been present the day before. But what spooked him, was the number just underneath that line.

"2039...no...no no no no...that's not right…"

Sans quickly backed away from the machine, and out of the room. The door slid closed behind him. Sans snapped his fingers as he walked, suddenly finding himself standing in the lobby of Alphys's lab. He looked to the escalator leading upstairs, by now knowing that was where he would find her. As he ascended, he heard the sounds of eating coming from close by. When he reached the top, he discovered the source, spying Alphys hunched over the table, downing a bowl of instant noodles.

"alph."

Her chair fell over with a thump as she jumped, letting out a muffled cry. She whipped around, at first an indignant glare on her face, but quickly replaced with concern when she saw both who it was, and his expression.

"S-Sans! It's b-been so long since we've s-s-seen each other!"

Sans nodded. "i know. no time for pleasantries. we...we may have a problem. a big one."

Alphys wiped her face off with a napkin, trying to regain her confidence. "Well, I d-do always like a good p-puzzle, whatcha g-got for me?"

"i think this puzzle might test your skill set. i'll keep it short, i don't know how much time we've got. toriel's alive, she's been keeping humans in the ruins before they come out here and die by either asgore or undyne's hands.

"_WH-WHAT-"_

"another human fell a week ago. kid's been in a coma for about a week."

Alphys was visibly shaking, squeaking. "Th-The queen is a-alive? And she's h-helping humans?"

"i know, i know. i just found out today. but yes. the seventh kid is with her right now, and he hasn't woken up since he fell."

"Well...it _would_ be a pretty b-big fall… M-Maybe the kid hit th-their head when they l-landed?"

Sans shook his head. "i've seen him myself, and toriel confirmed it. he didn't have any injuries of any kind on him when he fell. i...i think this is something bigger."

"W...What do y-you mean?"

Sans's eyes went dark. "When I first saw that kid...I suddenly got cold. Like, ice cold. Felt like something passed through me. But...just after that, I...I saw something. It was...like, a memory. But a memory that I shouldn't have."

Alphys frowned. "What did you see?"

"It's...hard to explain in detail. But...we were on the surface! I was there, with that kid! Joking around, everything like that...it was only for a few seconds but...I know what I saw."

Alphys was growing more confused by the second. "How...H-How could you be seeing m-memories that don't e-exist? Y-You've never been o-on the surface in the first place!"

"I have a theory…" he began.

Alphys tilted her head. "Do tell…"

Sans looked back up to her. "Alph...how much do you know about resets?"


	3. Return To Home

The crunch of feet on snow soon turned to the hard echoing of stone as Sans led Alphys down into the Ruins. She was still blank faced in shock at what she had learned only moments before. Sans had briefed her on everything. About what Flowey had been doing, his special machine, everything to do with resets. She had taken it rather well, Sans had noted. Better than he had, at least.

"toriel?! i've brought some help!"

The queen's face peered around the corner, blinking in surprise when she saw who it was.

"Doctor Alphys."

Alphys gave a short bow. "Y-Your majesty...I mean, T-Toriel…"

Toriel ushered them further inside, leading them to the room where the child lay. Alphys turned on the light, walking to the bedside. She looked on helplessly to the two standing in the doorway.

"I-I fail to see wh-what you expect me to do! I-I am a sc-scientist, not a-a medical doctor!"

"we'll need to get him back to the surface. Maybe their doctors'll be able to help him more."

"G-Good luck with that! You-You know how Asgore is a-about all of that! H-He'd never allow it!"

Sans looked to Toriel. She stared back, confused.

"What?"

Sans shrugged. "well...why don't you try and talk to him? i mean, you were married to the big guy." He lowered his voice, "listen, tori, there's something off about this kid. i don't know what, i can't explain it, but there's something about him. i feel like we won't be able to get to the bottom of this until he's back with his own. besides, don't you think your return is a bit overdue?"

Toriel stared down at the floor, as her hand clenched into a fist... then relaxed, before she gave a nod with a deep breath.

"If you think this is what needs to be done...but how are we even going to get the child to the castle? It takes almost a day to walk there on foot!"

Alphys and Sans both racked their brains, before Alphys snapped her fingers.

"The Riverperson! He and his boat could get us to the other side of the Underground within an hour!"

Sans grunted. "i dunno...i'm not a fan of th' guy. bit of a weirdo."

Toriel rolled her eyes. "Sans, this is hardly the time. You are the one who wishes to bring him to the surface, and that, as far as we can determine, is the fastest way. Now, shall we go?" Toriel walked into the room, scooping Frisk up and out of the bed. Sans huffed as he led the way out of the bedroom, and down the stairs to the hallway to the forest.

The group kept off of the main pathways, perfectly content with keeping attention off of themselves. They made their way down to the riverbank and walked along the shore to where the Riverperson usually waited. The eerie hooded figure, as if expecting them, was already sitting in his boat. As they approached, the Riverperson spoke calmly.

"Ah! Good to see old friends and queens again. How may I be of service today?"

Sans climbed into the boat, helping Alphys, and then Toriel, into the boat.

"as close to new home as you can get us," he said curtly.

The Riverperson remained still. It took Sans a moment to realize he was staring straight at the boy. The eerie figure leaned forward, transfixed by the child, before speaking in a strangely deeper voice.

"The butterfly's wings are plucked away, and now, the seas fall still." He stood up, returning to his jolly self. "Right! Hotland it is."

Sans was given no time to ponder the statement before the boat set off.

* * *

The boat coasted away, hardly leaving a ripple amidst the water, the group now standing back on the riverbank. Sans nodded.

"right. i should be able to shortcut us all there to avoid the crowds in new home. you'll need to grab onto me."

Toriel adjusted her grip on the child, holding him in one arm as she used her other to clasp onto Sans's shoulder. Alphys touched his other arm as Sans closed his eyes, and in an instant they were standing within the hallway leading to Asgore's throne room. Sans groaned, breathing deeply. A bead of sweat fell down his head. Alphys waved a hand in front of his face.

"A-Are you alright Sans?"

Sans nodded, standing up straighter. "yeah. let's go."

Toriel took the lead this time as they walked down the hallway, rounding the corner into the throne room. Asgore glanced up from his throne, then rose.

"T...Toriel?"

Toriel stared him down. Sans rounded the bend just in time to see a dark red trident appear in the king's hand, and a flickering fireball in Toriel's free hand. Sans bolted forward, standing in between them, glaring up at Asgore.

"wait!"

Asgore growled as he looked down at Sans. "Stand aside, Sans. I need to do this to free our people."

Alphys timidly crept into the throne room after them. "Y-Your highness...p-please listen to them! What th-they have to say m-might make you rec-consider!"

The king slowly looked to Alphys, then back to Sans and Toriel. He lowered his trident, but did not dismiss it.

"You have sixty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't free us all."

Sans was quick to launch into his explanation. Like with Alphys, he explained his machine, his memory, the resets, everything. It only took him ten of the sixty seconds for the trident to disappear. The king had to sit back down with the information crashing down all at once. When Sans concluded his explanation, Asgore heaved a sigh.

"So...you believe that if this child returns to the surface, we may be freed peacefully as a result?"

Sans nodded. "Pretty much."

His tone remained someber, and absent of hope. "But to get him to the surface, he requires the soul of either myself, or Toriel…"

"Not necessarily," another voice piped up.

The group turned, spying that a little flower that had popped up through the dirt. Sans started to raise his hand, but Flowey stopped him.

"If I can absorb the six human souls, and the kid's seventh, then I can break the barrier, and get us all to the surface."

Sans narrowed his eyes. "yeah, right. you're a maniac. why would we give the souls to you?"

Flowey narrowed his eyes. "Because I've done it before."

All four of the monsters stared in shock at the revelation. Toriel glanced to Sans, before making the decision for all of them.

"Very well, we will allow you to do this."

Flowey nodded. "Thanks. Er...could I...be alone while I do that?"

Immediately their faces turned skeptical. Flowey's petals rose defensively as he hissed.

"Look, I promise I'll release the souls and give Frisk's back as soon as it's done. Just...trust me? Please? Just this once?"

Sans knelt down, getting just as close to Flowey's eye level as he could.

"alright, we'll bite. keep in mind, though, i'm right behind the door, and i will _not_ hesitate to rip you up from the roots."

Flowey gulped. "C-Clear."

Toriel set Frisk down in the flowerbed, and the group left the room, now waiting out in the hall. They could hear a rustling noise, and multiple strange sounds that could only be Flowey absorbing the souls.

"You don't really believe he'll give the souls back, do you?" Alphys whispered to Sans.

"normally i wouldn't. but did you notice something? he wasn't snarky, mocking, or anything like that. he was a lot more serious. there's something real weird going on. besides, him saying he's done that before? i think that's the first time I've seen him be honest about anything."

Alphys nodded, thinking it over. The minutes continued ticking by. A low rumble shook the castle suddenly, followed by a nearby boom. Five minutes later, Flowey's head poked back around the corner.

"Barrier's broken. Kid's got his soul back, the others are free. Good luck."

He dove back into the ground before they could even thank him. Toriel ran into the room, scooping the child back up, making for the exit.

"Tori, wait!" Asgore called, sprinting after. He managed to catch up to her just outside of the cavern, finding her staring in breathless awe at the rolling landscape, the sun beaming down high in the sky. Asgore's eyes widened as he took in the sight, Sans and Alphys slowly walking out behind them. Sans grunted, a ringing sounding within his head.

He closed his eyes. When he reopened them, the day had turned into night. The beautiful landscape still lay ahead, but had lost its beauty. It was now scarred with the constant flash of red and blue bolts flying through the air below. He gasped as he closed his eyes again, and was whisked to the present. His head spun and he stumbled back, falling onto his rear. Alphys stooped next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sans brushed her off, struggling to regulate his breathing.

"i-i'm fine...i'm fine…let's just...let's focus on that kid for now…"

Toriel gave a slow nod as Alphys helped Sans back to his feet, when Asgore pointed down through the trees.

"Look! There is a town just at the bottom of the mountain! They must have hospital we can take Frisk to!"

Alphys shook her head. "N-No, leave Frisk h-here. We d-don't know what's wr-wrong with him, we should bring a d-doctor here in case w-we shouldn't have moved h-him!"

Toriel glanced down to Frisk, nodding. "Very well. Sans, can you do your...whatever it is that you do to get to the town?"

Sans grunted, staring at the town. "i'd be able to get us into the town, but not into the hospital. i need to actually have seen the place to get there, so I can get us close."

Asgore grunted. "Alright, go. We will stay here with the child."

Sans nodded, grabbing Alphys's arm. "gotcha. c'mon, alph."

She closed her eyes, feeling a small woosh of air before she felt pavement below her feet. She opened them again as Sans released her. The skeleton had managed to shortcut them down to the town's outskirts, near a back alleyway. They ducked down the narrow path, quickly avoiding witnesses.

Sans led them further down the alleyway, and it didn't take them long to find a set of double doors. The two monsters hid behind a dumpster, watching them. Sans dared to step out, and try opening them. No such luck, they were locked. He ducked back with Alphys.

"well, this is probably the place...we'll have to wait for somebody to come along and open them."

With that, they leaned back against the brick wall. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait for long. A sanitary worker pushed the doors open, hauling a garbage bag out with him. The worker tossed the bag into the dumpster, returning back inside. Sans snuck up behind the worker, and just before the doors closed, stuck his foot in the door, holding it open. He jerked his head to Alphys.

"you better be the one to get them. they won't freak out as much at you. your face is...friendlier."

Alphys squeaked, looking intimidated. Still though, she eased the door open, stepping through the door into the pale hallways.

She winced as her claws clicked on the linoleum floors, making it unlikely she could remain unnoticed for long. The small lizard monster scurried down the hallways until she heard voices, then ducked into an adjoining room immediately as anxiety started flaring up her chest.

She heaved a sigh of relief, then heard a gasp behind her as she slowly turned around. A younger doctor in about her early thirties stared at her. Alphys made an expression of mortification, then steeled her nerves. Sans, and the King and Queen, were all depending on her to do this, and get someone to help Frisk.

Alphys leaped up onto a chair, covering the doctor's mouth before she could make any noise of fear or surprise. "Sh-shhhhh! N-no, I-i-i'm not human, but I-i'm not here to hurt anyone! M-my name is Dr. Alphys, a-and I need a human doctor's help!"

She realized how fast she was talking, and then tried to force herself to slow down, so as to be understood. "A-a human child fell into the Underground a-about… I-i think the Queen said it was about a week ago? H-he doesn't look injured but h-he's been asleep the entire time and none of _us_ know what's wrong with him s-so we thought that his own kind w-would have a better chance of knowing what it was and helping him, o-only we weren't sure h-how to get a doctor's help without them freaking out over th-there's _monsters_ free again a-and they had an unconscious human child a-and-"

She realized again she was rambling, and forced herself to swallow down a deep breath. "A-and anyway we would r-really appreciate it if you could help! W-we… we have gold we can pay you!"

For a moment awkward silence reigned, and Alphys noticed her hand was still shoved over the doctor's mouth. She quickly removed it, and the doctor gasped for breath.

"This is… quite unorthodox but…" She thought the bizarre offer over for a moment. "I suppose I _am_ on break for the moment… show me to this child."

Alphys sucked in other breath. "O-okay… promise you won't freak out when you see Sans."

* * *

The two Dreemurrs sat in silence, refusing to look at each other. Toriel still had her hand underneath the child's head, keeping him still. Asgore opened his mouth, then decided against speaking. Then immediately contradicted himself.

"It's been some time...do you...want to maybe...get lunch at some point? Catch up-"

"Do not even try, you ape." Her tone was icy.

Asgore dejectedly looked to the ground. "Okay…" He looked back up as they heard footsteps approaching them from nearby. Sans and Alphys crested over the edge, and with them, a human. The woman spotted the child, kneeling down beside it, then looked to Toriel.

"What happened to him?"

Toriel shook her head. "I have no idea. I found him unconscious a week ago. He has not woken up since."

The doctor nodded, taking Frisk's wrist. She pressed down on it for a few seconds, before leaning in to listen to his breathing.

"His pulse is fine, his breathing doesn't sound laboured. He doesn't look injured, so he should be safe to be moved. I'll radio back to the hospital to arrange an air ambulance to pick him up. The police will be here shortly as well, they will want to speak to you."

Asgore nodded. "Understood. Thank you."

The doctor stepped back, making the necessary calls. With the town being close by, it was less than 15 minutes before the whirring blades of the helicopter reverberated across the mountain. The red and white aircraft was soon visible, hovering above them. The monsters stepped back, allowing the humans to go to work, hoisting the child up and into the helicopter, as doctor joined them on the aircraft. As the air ambulance began to fly away, they could hear the sounds of police sirens growing closer from the roads below.


	4. Waking Up

Within the darkness, he heard a faint beeping. Every other beep was accompanied by a brief flash. A flash from a past he did not want to remember. A jetliner screaming towards the ground. The cries of terrified monsters. A bawling child. Sans's angry snarl. Red and purple plasma beams streaking through the air. Raging flames licking closer. The insistent beeping grew louder as a single dot rose at the edge of his vision. The dot quickly slammed down, and the following explosion was blinding. He slowly blinked open his eyes, feeling warm. Through his blurred vision, he could tell he was in a pale room. Gradually his vision cleared.

He leaned his head to the right, spying a monitor displaying his heartbeat; the source of the beeping which persisted. On his left, he saw a baggie hung up, clear liquids inside. A tube was hooked up to the bag. He traced the tube with is eyes as it descended almost to the floor, then back up the side of the bed, and along his forearm to an IV that lay embedded in his wrist. He began to hyperventilate.

Maybe the reset hadn't worked. Maybe he had been shaken back to the present! New panic flooded his brain. If he was back at the present, then this might be a Defender hospital. And if that was the case...what was it that was being pumped into him? That was all he could focus on. He grabbed the IV, wincing, then crying out in pain as he yanked the surrounding tape off, dragging the IV with it. Blood trickled from the tiny hole the needle made in his wrist and he clutched at it.

He grunted, swinging his legs out. It was then that Frisk noticed the pale blue hospital gown he wore. He didn't care. His bare feet hit the cool linoleum floor, but as soon as he stepped away from the bed he fell to his hands and knees. He couldn't keep his legs from shaking as he gasped, crawling towards the door. A sharp pain suddenly formed in his gut. He groaned, leaning forward, his right hand clutching at his stomach. The stab turned into a burning sensation. It felt as if he had just been shot all over again, the pain far increased now.

He collapsed fully onto his side, curling up in a ball. A wail of pain was wrenched from his throat, tears stinging his eyes as he shuddered. Rapid footsteps approached the room and a male nurse entered, spotting him almost immediately.

"Call Doctor Callahan! He's awake!" he yelled out into the hallway, then knelt by Frisk, trying to speak soothingly. "Hey! Easy! You're fine!"

Frisk yelled back at the nurse, "_GET AWAY FROM ME_!" He lashed out, managing to land a kick to the nurse's stomach. The nurse grunted, taking a step back, but seemed to be unphased. A doctor dressed in white entered the room, also kneeling down by Frisk.

"Hey, buddy! Listen to me, you need to calm down. Nobody can hurt you. You're in the Ebott General Hospital in Reston. Do you know where that is?"

Frisk slowly began to calm, blinking in shock. "E...E-Ebott?"

The doctor nodded, a kind smile on his face. "Yes!"

Frisk shook his head frantically. "B...B-But the war...Ebott was...destroyed! Did...Did it work?"

The doctor now looked most perplexed. "I'm not sure what you are talking about, child, but Ebott is certainly not destroyed."

Frisk blinked as he was again called a child, and finally looked down at his body, noticing he was a lot...shorter than he had been. Maybe the reset had worked? His nod was interrupted when the pain returned in full force. He groaned out, gritting his teeth, his eyes clenched shut.

"I-It hurts!"

The doctor frowned. "Son, I fail to see what could be hurting you, we have completed every sort of scan and your body is perfectly healthy!"

"Why don't we switch bodies and _you_ get a taste of what this feels like?!" he yelled, then cried out again as the pain shot through him, moving around to his back. His now-small body thrashed, his jaw hanging open. The doctor nodded to the nurse.

"Help me get him to the bed."

He felt them picking him up, carrying his squirming form back over, resting him on his back. The doctor took velcro straps from the bed, strapping his arms down before he felt a needle being pushed back into his vein. It took Frisk mere seconds before the pain began to fade, and Frisk felt his consciousness slowly slipping away.

* * *

When Frisk blinked his eyes open, he immediately noticed there was something different about the room. He tried to blink his sleepiness away further, but it was difficult to do so. Whatever they had sedated him with must still be coursing through his bloodstream. The pain was gone, though, and he was grateful for that. He saw the doctor standing off to one side, a familiar figure beside him. He couldn't make out what the doctor was saying, but as he regained more of his consciousness, he could make out who the other man was.

"Ah, he seems to have woken," Matthias cut the doctor off, sitting down in a chair next to Frisk's bed. Frisk blinked groggily at him. He looked somewhat young again. It was all the confirmation he needed, the reset had worked.

"Hey, kiddo. Do you know who I am?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah...y...you're...Matthias Hemmingway...prime minister...of Reston...and…"

Matthias tilted his head. "...and what?"

Frisk took a deep, shaky breath. "Nothing…" He turned his head, staring up at the ceiling. "What happened?"

Matthias glanced to the doctor, before looking back to Frisk. "You went missing five weeks ago, last spotted entering the forest surrounding Mount Ebott. A week later, a monster scientist inexplicably infiltrated this very hospital, and told one of our doctors that a human child needed urgent care. She was brought back to the mountain, where you were waiting with the king and queen on the surface. You were in a coma. You've been in one for nearly a month now."

Frisk turned his head back. "W...Wait...monsters are...on the surface?"

Matthias nodded. "Indeed. Frisk, I'm going to ask you a question or two that I need you to answer. Alright?"

Frisk gave a single nod.

"Right. Do you remember anything that happened after you left to go up the mountain?"

Frisk shook his head wearily. "No...I...don't remember anything…I...er...must have hit my head when I fell…"

Matthias sighed. "I see. Well if you do not remember anything, then that will end the questions right there. Rest up now, alright?"

Matthias stood up, heading to the door with the doctor, but stopped as Frisk called out.

"W-Wait!...What happened to the monsters?"

MAtthias looked back. "They're...currently set up in a camp just outside the caverns. Why?"

Frisk didn't meet his gaze. "Is there a monster named Sans there?"

Matthias thought for a moment. "I believe there is, but I thought you said you didn't remember anything?"

Frisk shook his head. "I don't...but I remember hearing the name in a dream...can you...ask him to come here? I want to speak to him."

Matthias had an uneasy look on his face, but he nodded. "I will see what I can do." He stepped outside, closing the door behind the doctor before facing him.

"Doctor Callahan, are you certain about his scans?"

Callahan nodded. "Yes, sir. We have run every conceivable scan we can think to run on the child. With all of them he appears to be in perfect health!"

Matthias glanced back to the closed door. "Something's off here. I can feel it. Check them all again for me."

Callahan nodded, but didn't move. "Sir...if I may ask, what is on your mind? You appear to be a bit distressed.

Matthias grunted. "Just...I feel like I've seen that kid before, but I can't...recall from where. The same with Asgore! I could tell he felt the same way. I don't know what's going on here...but whatever it is, I don't like it. And I intend to get to the bottom of it."

With that he headed on his way, mumbling to himself. "Time to have another chat…"


	5. Changing Tides

"He said what?" Toriel exclaimed. Beside her, Asgore's eyes widened as the two of them stared at Matthias. The prime minister released an exasperated sigh.

"I'm only telling you what he has told me. He asked _specifically_ for Sans."

As if on cue the skeleton spoke up from seemingly nowhere, making Matthias start. "somebody call me?"

Asgore looked down to the skeleton. "Indeed. It would appear that the child we helped is awake, and requesting your presence immediately!"

Sans blinked nonchalantly. "did he?"

Matthias nodded. "He did. It sounded urgent. I wanted to let you know personally, then so you could decide if you wanted to visit him."

Sans looked from Matthias to Toriel. "well? what d'you think?"

Toriel looked undecided about the matter. "I...I am not sure. I think it is quite strange how this child could request you by name...especially since he has only just awoken."

"welp...may as well see what our mystery kid wants, huh?"

"Lady Toriel, would you be willing to join us?" Matthias requested. "It may be useful to have a second monster, one holding authority, present. And I can imagine his majesty would have other matters to tend to."

Toriel glanced to Asgore, who gave a single nod, then back to the prime minister. "Very well, Minister Hemmingway. Let us be off." The two monsters exchanged one more curious glance before following Matthias back out of the camp and down the forest trails.

* * *

Frisk groaned, staring up at the ceiling. He looked back to the tube that fed the mild sedative into his bloodstream, keeping the phantom pain suppressed. Upon checking earlier, he had discovered his wounds had indeed vanished, and yet the pain from them had still returned when he had yanked the needle out. A knock sounded from the door, before it creaked open. Matthias let himself in, nodding to Frisk.

"I've brought a couple people you may want to see."

Frisk sat up, a warm feeling filling him as he saw Toriel first, and Sans right after, but Frisk barely noticed the skeleton, his eyes only seeing the other.

"M...M-Mom?" he asked, still a bit dreary from the medicine. Toriel gave Matthias a questioning look, before turning her attention back to the child.

"I...I am sorry, child, but I am not your mother. I am afraid this is our first time speaking together."

Immediately, the warm feeling splintered. The phrase was crushing. He tried to think rationally. "_Stupid...of course she wouldn't remember you! This isn't the future. You've reset. She doesn't know anything_." He looked to Sans, noticing suspicion in the skeleton's eyes.

"hey kid. You uh...holdin' up there alright?" he ventured.

"Mhm...about as well as I can be…"

"you mind if I spoke with him alone for a bit? we'll be fine, don't worry," Sans asked the former queen.

When Matthias gave a nod of approval, he and Toriel quietly left the room, leaving Sans alone with Frisk. The skeleton walked to an armchair, flopping down across it, hands folded on his chest.

"so. you told me you wanted to see me, huh? welp, here i am. what's shaking?"

Frisk frowned. He had guessed that Toriel may not remember him, but Sans knew almost immediately about his reset power before! Did he not remember either?

"Don't...you remember? You told me, that if I ever had to...go back, to come and find you…"

Sans grunted, closing his eyes. "nope, don't know a thing about that. you sure you're alright? because i've never seen you before. and trust me, if i said something like that, i would _definitely_ remember you."

Frisk stared at him, trying to search for anything that could give Sans away. There was nothing. Huffing, he laid back again.

"I...guess then that there's nothing left to discuss. I must have been...delusional."

"yeah...guess so."

Frisk shook his head. Just tell him all of it, the thought crossed his mind. The war, the bombs, everything. But every time he decided against it. What would the point be? It all sounded so absurd that nobody would believe him. He decided to test the waters.

"Hey...what if I were to tell you...that I know exactly when and how you die? What would you say?"

Sans chuckled. "i'd tell you it's a good joke. nobody can predict that."

Frisk nodded numbly as Sans stood up. "welp, this was an interesting discussion. maybe we'll, uh, speak again later."

"Mhm...maybe…" He took a deep breath, feeling a dull ache on his back as Sans left the room.

* * *

Alphys remained huddled up, hands outstretched towards the fire as the sun crested towards the horizon. She heard a door slam from deep in the trees, and a few minutes later Toriel walked up the pathway, Sans following close behind. The skeleton's face seemed set in a permanent grin, but Alphys had grown to be able to tell when something was upsetting him. She managed to wave him over, keeping her voice low to a whisper as he approached.

"What happened?"

"i don't have time to explain this here. if you want to know, then come with me. i'm going to the ruins."

Alphys shivered at the unusually serious tone, but curiosity got the better of her as she found herself nodding. Sans grabbed her arm, taking a step forward. She grunted, blinking as her eyes started to adjust to the dark. "What are w-we doing here?"

Sans snapped his fingers, and she heard a growl as a gaster blaster appeared. It opened its mouth, a soft glow emitting from its mouth to illuminate the hallways.

"i've been studying these ruins for years. this entire time I never knew the _queen_ was living one level below. look around. all these ruins have different writings on them. don't know who wrote them, and even after all this time, i only know vaguely what they say."

Alphys gazed around at the symbols on the wall, each with an accompanying mural. Fascination filled her eyes.

"G-Gerson would l-love to see this…you said you know v-vaguely what th-th-they say?"

"yeah. it's some sort of directory. each of those drawings represents a person. there are both humans and monsters. at the center, is this one. an angel. the one from the old legends. you know…"

"When the sky goes black with the smog of death, the angel will appear, and rain the Heavens down upon the Earth," Alphys finished for him. Sans nodded.

"yeah. that one. what caught me though...was the riverperson. he was on these ruins. he always has been. that's part of the reason why i didn't trust him. he used to be off to one corner, but always staring at the angel."

Alphys followed his finger to the wall. "Sans...there's...nothing there…"

She squeaked as the skeleton gripped her shoulders. "exactly. the writings...changed. they're different. it happened overnight, just after we got to the surface. you and i are both scientists. that doesn't just...happen. but they weren't defaced, the wall is still there. as it's as if…"

"As if they were never there…" Alphys breathed, nervousness starting to rise. "You think the Riverperson and this child are...connected?"

Sans nodded. "i know they are. on the boat, when we were getting him to the surface, he took an awful big interest in the kid. suspiciously big one. tut you're missing the point here, the riverperson's out of the picture now. something's different. that kid? he knows things. things that he shouldn't know. something bad is going to happen. it's probably doomed to always happen."

"We're...stuck in some cycle?" she guessed.

"exactly! we're stuck in this course, marching to our ends. we need to find a way to break out of this course! and if we don't?! then we are DEAD! WE ARE ALL, DEAD!"

* * *

A soft humming filled the area as the Riverperson gazed down into the pool, eyes locked on Sans. Then from behind him echoed a single world:

"Hypocrite."

Ausgrid glanced over his shoulder, sighing as Gaster approached, face twisted by rage, then turned his attention back to the pool.

"I knew you wouldn't understand, my friend."

"Friend?!" Gaster shouted. "After the stunt you pulled?! All this time you've been telling me we aren't allowed to help out, just move things along! Then you turn around and go behind my back, helping Frisk complete his reset?! That goes against _everything_ you have ever told me!"

Ausgrid shook his head. "I did move things along, Doctor Gaster. Frisk was always meant to reset, but he needed the extra push. I am the one who gave him the push."

"If the war was always doomed to be undone, then why did we not warn him before?! Why not tell him what was to come?! It is not fair to put him through this torture!"

"Because now, he is armed with the proper information to change the outcome."

An odd swoosh stirred the void and he turned to see the skeleton poised, aiming a black sword at him. The weapon was the deepest dark, made from the void that surrounded them.

"Whose side are you really on, your _majesty_?"

Ausgrid brushed his hood back, summoning his own void weapon. "Gaster, do not do not take actions you would later regret."

Gaster snarled. "Then answer the question. I am on the side of the monsters. The side that has done nothing to deserve such persecution. But whose side are you on? These are your people. Your descendants. And yet you stand by, and allow for them to be slaughtered."

Ausgrid narrowed his eyes. "If you believe that I get some kind of joy out of this, you are mistaken. But, there are rules we must play by. I intend to follow those rules through to the fullest."

The former scientist and former king locked eyes. The atmosphere fell still. With a grunt, Gaster backed down, letting the weapon dissolve.

"This isn't over." The skeleton swung around, stalking away into the darkness. Ausgrid grunted, twirling his blade before it too dissolved.

"It most certainly isn't, old friend...it most certainly isn't."


	6. Revelation

The Prime Minister took a deep breath, folding his arms. He continued to stare past the two-way mirror at Frisk, the child sitting across the table from the psychologist presently speaking with him. Matthias had been watching the session for nearly 40 minutes, and the whole time growing more and more unsettled.

"This doesn't make any sense," he grunted. "So...allow me to get things straight again. A random kid walks towards Mount Ebott and disappears. He then _reappears_ days later with monsters, the barrier is gone, he is delusional, and now you tell me he's paralyzed as well?!"

The doctor beside him shrugged helplessly. "From the waist down, yes." The new condition had been discovered a week ago. A nurse had tried to convince him to get up and walk around, only to find that he had lost any kind of feeling or motor-function in his legs. Matthias shook his head.

"I will need to see more information about this, Doctor. There are too many variables that just don't add up."

The doctor suddenly brightened. "Oh, there is some good news. We appear to have pinpointed the cause of Frisk's phantom pains."

"You mean, the sudden outbursts he gets?"

"Precisely. Please, follow me."

Matthias took one last glance at Frisk, before following the doctor through one of the brightly lit hallways. The phantom pains had been one of the most curious parts about Frisk's condition. At random times, he would begin to scream about a mysterious pain somewhere in his body. It seemed to bounce, but more often than not it was on his stomach or along his back. Every time nurses checked, and claimed Frisk to be in perfect health. The doctor ducked into a side office, moving to his computer, beginning to type.

"We conducted another brain scan not long ago, and we believe we have located the cause of not just Frisk's phantom pains, but perhaps his paralysis as well." He turned the screen so Matthias could see.

"As you can see, there is rather a lot of activity in his brain. In fact, there is a lot more activity than in an average kid of his age. If you look over here," he pointed to the scan, "you will see that his thalamus was particularly active. The thalamus is that part of the brain that distinguishes what pain is."

Matthias nodded. "Alright...but I still have two questions. Why would the thalamus be acting up at all? I mean, there aren't any injuries to give pain!"

The doctor huffed. "That, is where we are stuck. We have managed to pinpoint that his pain receptors are acting up in those areas, giving out sudden spasms that the brain interprets as unimaginable pain, but we still do not know why they are acting up in the first place. It's...well, it's as if they're trying to send out signals for an injury that...just doesn't exist! And there is... something else that I wanted you to see too."

A second scan appeared on the screen.

"What am I looking at Doctor?"

"You are looking at a brain scan of another child that suffered from a traumatic experience," the doctor replied. "This other child was also a male, and exactly Frisk's age. But look at the difference! Frisk's brain activity is off the charts in comparison to what it should be, even factoring in any trauma he may be suffering from. This brain scan is even erratic when we compare it to that of an adult's brain."

Matthias shook his head. "None of this makes any sense. When we answer one question, two more seem to pop up right after!"

"Yes, well we hope to be cracking down on answers soon."

"I hope so. It is not easy keeping monsters off of even the national stage. I would rather we have this mess sorted before I reveal them to the Prime Summit."

The Doctor smiled. "I will continue to work diligently, sir."

* * *

The dark room lay quiet, with the occasional sound from elsewhere in the hospital leaking past the firmly shut door. Frisk continued staring up at the ceiling. Sleep had not come easily since he woke from his coma, tonight was certainly no exception. He blinked, and then furrowed his brow, as another presence announced itself. The child sat up, spying a familiar figure now sitting in a chair by the wall. He sighed.

"Bit late for a visit, Sans, don't you think?"

Sans's tone was cold. "I don't think so. You know, from when I first laid eyes on you, I was trying to figure you out. And...I think I might just know. Why don't we go for a little stroll?" The skeleton stood up, pushing Frisk's wheelchair to the edge of the bed. Frisk glanced back to him, seeing the eerie white glow of his pupils in the dark. He grunted, managing to slide himself from the bed into the chair without much difficulty. Sans reached over, putting a hand on Frisk's shoulder.

Immediately Frisk felt a gust of stale air, and a rapid drop in temperature. Snow crunched beneath the wheels of the wheelchair as Sans pushed Frisk off of the road from the abandoned Snowdin Village. He glanced at the old house of the skeleton brothers, as Sans pushed him around behind the house and towards a shed. The skeleton walked around, unlocking the door, before walking back to wheel Frisk inside. Frisk was dumbfounded, at first spotting the tanks sitting at one end of the room close to a table littered with notes.

"What is this place?"

Sans didn't answer, wheeling Frisk past the tanks and into a second room, this one containing a large machine. Lines scrolled across it, stopping and starting again erratically. Some diverged, and others converged again elsewhere. Within, Frisk was buzzing with unasked questions. But luckily, this time Sans had answers for him.

"This is a project that I have been working on for decades. There is an entity named Flowey. He possesses a unique ability to...reset. He can turn back time at will, and erase whatever that future was. He can then change the future, but...I assume you know this already."

Frisk looked away from Sans guiltily.

"This machine was designed to monitor his resets. It is how I have kept track of him all this time. I call it a 'Chronographer.' Every line you see here represents a different timeline. Whenever a reset is performed, a line ends, and another appears at the point where Flowey reset back to. I want you to notice a pattern. Usually there is at least one every few years, but suddenly, right here, the resets stop. Only for about seven years, until we get to here. This was nearly two months ago. When you arrived. Here it says there have been several resets."

Sans glanced back to Frisk, searching for reactions, to find Frisk's face was perfectly neutral.

"There is one line. This one." He pointed to it. "This line extends past all the resets. And it keeps going...and going...and going...it goes a very long time, twenty years, into the future. But then one day...it just ends, in 2039. Twenty years into the future. Time that has not happened yet."

He looked back to Frisk, seeing signs of uneasiness in his expression.

"The pattern is off. It does not fit Flowey's. I believe there is another being capable of resetting, and I believe that being is you. Am I wrong?"

Frisk took a deep breath. "No. You are not."

"You know, I'm curious. You clearly came through here once before, that much is clear. Based on what you have said, I can safely assume that you got us back to the surface. You know, I have a distinct feeling that in that timeline, we were...friends. Good friends. But good friends wouldn't send their buddies back down into an underground prison. So I am going to ask you this once, and only once."

Sans stalked forward, leaning onto the chair, glaring into Frisk's eyes. "What. Happened?"

Frisk huffed. "Alright! Alright. Yes, you make it to the surface. But...the joy doesn't last. Eighteen years ahead of us, humans discover the graves of the other human children. Asgore is put on trial for the murders. He was found guilty, but he never made it to sentencing. He was assassinated by trained killers in his car on the way over. After this, war breaks out."

He drew a shaky breath. "But it's different this time. You don't win, you don't get sealed belowground again. You _die_. Every. Single. One of you."

Sans shuddered, letting go of the chair. He turned back to the monitor. "...How?"

"Toriel...is killed in a press conference bombing...Undyne dies in a failed attack on a compound. Papyrus...he...he's captured...and you go and...gave him one last mercy. You and Alphys disappeared, we never discover what happened to you. Everybody else dies when dozens of atomic bombs destroy every living thing in the country."

"Why didn't you tell me this already?"

Frisk laughed. "Would you have believed me?! And I did try to tell you! Remember, I said I can tell you exactly when and how you die? You said it'd be a good joke. Besides, I can't tell anybody else, it'd sound delusional!"

"Then we need to find someone who can vouch for you...I'll see if I can find someone. First though, I have...another question. Do you know about any...Riverperson, in your timeline?"

Frisk nodded. "Yeah...bit of a creepy guy. He was often hanging around in the shadows when things went down. You...you've looked into him, haven't you."

"Yep. He's a part of a very...unique sort. I call them Watchers. They are not from our time. They do not follow the laws of time, or space. That's how his boat is able to take people across the Underground so fast."

"Why Watchers? Or even why plural? I thought the Riverperson was the only one of his kind?" Frisk asked.

"He's the only one that you've seen, but there are others. They lurk in a different dimension. I've visited it in some of my dreams. The others, I believe, can't leave it as often. What I do know is this means the Riverperson is the strongest. That makes him very, very, dangerous. I call them Watchers because from what I have been able to gather, their job is to...watch over the timeline. Preserve it in a sense. Whatever that means. Listen, if you see him...stay away. Understand?"

Frisk bit his lip, struggling to keep his mouth shut, but nodded. Sans sighed.

"Good. I'll go see if I can track down our little friend, see if he'd be willing to help us for once in his miserable life."

Frisk chuckled, as Sans wandered back to the wheelchair. "Alright, kiddo, let's get you back to the hospital."


	7. Prophecy

Frisk's eyes tracked a raven fluttering through the air, disappearing into the higher branches of a nearby tree. He tapped his fingers against the wheelchair, looking up at Sans standing beside him.

"Well? Is Flowey coming?" he queried.

"i did some… 'persuading.' he'll be here," Sans grunted. Of course, by persuading, he really threatened to pluck all of Flowey's petals off one by one if he didn't help. That had convinced the spooked flower to help very quickly after that. They both looked towards the hospital's back doors as Matthias walked out of the building, with Asgore and Toriel following close behind. The three pulled up chairs from the nearby tables in the yard, gazing expectantly at Frisk where he sat. Matthias opened his hands.

"Alright, Frisk. You said there were some matters you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Not just talk. Warn. This...isn't the first time that I've been below the mountain, or gotten back to the surface."

Matthias frowned. "I don't quite understand, child, you will need to clarify."

Frisk huffed, then decided to just come out and say it. "I have this ability. We call it an ability to reset. It's not quite...going back in time? But I can rewind time itself. Even if I'm killed, I have these moments when I can choose to go back and try again."

He looked around at the skeptical faces. Asgore's voice was soft, but still questioning.

"Child...forgive me for being skeptical. I, and all other monsters, use magic. But having the ability to turn back time? Even _with_ magic, that seems like a very big stretch."

"i know, this sounds nuts. but just...hear him out," Sans replied.

"Twenty years from now, a war breaks out," Frisk hesitantly continued. "This... war, involves every single country. The aggressors called themselves 'the Defenders.' They said their goal was to protect humankind from monsters. All the other countries banded together to fight monsterkind, but it even then it could have hardly been called a war. It was a two year slaughter. Everyone died. Toriel, Undyne, Papyrus and Sans, Asgore, even _you,_ Matthias, along with your close allies in Estines. At the end of the war, they launched their nuclear arsenal, and the destruction wiped out every living thing in sight. After that, I reset, and came all the way back here."

Throughout Frisk's speech Matthias appeared more and more uneasy, but then actually chuckled. "This is a...fascinating story, but let me get this straight. You expect me to believe that you are in fact not a child, but over thirty years old, and that you came from the future to warn us about a war that isn't due to happen for another two decades?"

"It sounds insane, I know, but if you-"

"I think it is crazy," Matthias interrupted, "because it is crazy. I'm sorry, Frisk, but I believe you are a touch delusional."

"No, he isn't. He's telling the truth." All heads looked to the right, down to the flower that had just popped from the ground. Flowey met Matthias's gaze earnestly. "I was there with him."

Matthias reached to the back of his neck, scratching a growing itch. "So, the only two among us that know of this war is a delusional child that just came out of a coma some weeks ago, and...this talking flower. I'm sorry, but I just can not make any action on this!"

Asgore growled, "Minister Hemmingway, mark my words while you might think this to be a joke, but I take any potential threat against my kind very seriously."

"Your Majesty, you can not be serious!" Matthias scoffed. "All they have are words! What proof do they possess?"

Sans narrowed his eyes. "More than you'd know."

"What are you talking about?" the prime minister demanded.

"I have a machine that can track resets, right down to the year. It confirms his story. The last reset was the year 2039."

Silence fell, before Matthias asked, now with a weary tone, "Alright. So...let's imagine that this is all true. Would you be able to reset during this war, to tell us what happens and allow us to have the upper hand?"

Frisk hesitated before responding. "You...tried that. In the future. It didn't work. If anything, it just made things worse. Besides, even if I was willing to do that, which I'm not...I'm not able to reset anyway."

"what do you mean?" Sans asked, leaning forward.

Frisk shrugged. "Ever since I got back I just...I've felt weaker. I discovered a little while ago that...I can't reset anymore. I've lost the ability."

Sans frowned. "but...by saying you discovered...that surely means that you attempted to reset _again_…"

Frisk gritted his teeth. "Alright, yes. I tried to reset again. I had to be awake when you were in the Underground so I could give everybody down there proper warning first. Maybe I could have convinced you to stay down there for your own good. But that didn't happen!"

For the first time in this conversation, Toriel finally interjected. She had kept two fingers to her forehead, clearly struggling to comprehend everything.

"But how would you lose that ability?"

"determination," Sans immediately answered. "frisk, you must have lost a large amount when you had such a massive reset. going back over twenty years, that would mean you'd need to use a massive amount of energy. it...also explains why you're paralyzed from the waist down."

Matthias leaned forward in his chair. "Could you get it back?"

Sans's eyes darkened and the skeleton grew rigid. Only Frisk knew the true reason as the skeleton explained.

"No. It's impossible. And trust me on this, I've done all the research one can do on this stuff."

Matthias rested his head in his hand, then looked back to Frisk. "You...You said there was a nuclear arsenal. How many bombs are we talking? Five? Ten?"

Frisk shook his head, shuddering as he wrapped his arms around himself. "N-No...there...there were...there had to have been hundreds…"

Matthias grew pale, prompting Asgore's concern. "Minister Hemmingway?"

The prime minister cleared his throat. "Er, yes. Sorry...just...thinking."

"About?"

"Well...if these nations you speak of have hundreds of bombs in their arsenal...then...they were actually not intended for the monsters."

Now even Flowey's curiosity was piqued. "Whatcha mean?"

"Well, it takes about a year just to make one nuclear bomb. To have hundreds already... They would have to have been planning something like that for decades. Hell, they likely already have over a hundred bombs in their arsenal as it is, with many more on the way. They just needed an excuse. The monsters would have been a perfect reason."

Asgore now looked alarmed. "Well, how do we stop them?"

Matthias glanced over to him. "We'll have to strike first. There's no other option. I'll get in touch with my other allies and get their opinions on this. Frisk...I cannot thank you enough."

Frisk nodded. "Just doing what I have to…" But as the table stood, Frisk called out, "Oh, Asgore, can I talk with you? Alone? It won't take long."

Sans departed with Toriel and Flowey burrowed back into the ground, having done his duty. Asgore watched them leave, then sat back down. Frisk wheeled closer to him before leaning forward in the wheelchair.

"I know what you did. About the kids. That's what I didn't tell Matthias."

Asgore's fur stood on end. "How do you know about that…"

Frisk shrugged. "Like I said, I've seen the future. Don't...bother trying to hide the bodies. I know you already have, and they're beneath the CORE. After all this goes down, though...I want you to turn yourself in. That's why the war started. You kept it hidden for decades, and shattered the human trust you had built up. The Defenders took advantage of that. They turned almost everyone against you. So when this is done...I want you to promise me that you'll tell them about what happened. You never know, you may get a lighter sentence for coming forward."

Asgore met Frisk's eyes, sadness glimmering in them. "I do not know if I can."

Frisk glared. "You did so before...you can do so again. Just please...I'm trying to make sure that after we end the war, our allies don't turn against us. Can you at least...consider it?"

Asgore closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Very well, I will give it some thought. But I cannot promise it."

"Good enough for me."

Without saying another word, Asgore stood up and left. Frisk leaned back in the chair, folding his arms.

"What do you think, Chara...did I do the right thing?" But instead of an answer, he was greeted with an uncomfortable silence. He wasn't sure why, but somehow he felt...truly alone.


	8. The Accusation

The whirring of helicopter blades quickly ceased, as the sliding door opened. The Summit Guard stepped back from the helicopter, saluting the general as he stepped out. Victor took a swift glance around, before making a small adjustment to one of his medals clipped to the left of his chest on his uniform. The decorated man slipped a dark blue beret on, along with thin, black gloves made of leather, before walking towards the Prime Summit building.

Immediately, he could tell that something about the atmosphere was off. He saw a few of the leaders conversing quietly amongst themselves, concerned looks on their faces. Matthias was among them, as was Kara, and Hamilton. Upon seeing him, they ceased their conversation, furthering Victor's suspicions. He decided to confide in Vernon, the general spying on the Prime Minister from another corner of the room. Vernon looked just as concerned as their opponents.

"Minister Keech...what's going on?"

Vernon glanced to him. "General Redgate...I wish I knew. They've been talking ever since they got here. Haven't said a word to the rest of us. You don't think...that they know, do you?"

"Impossible. We've kept our project under tightly closed doors. It would be an impossibility for them to even have a whiff of it."

"Let us hope then that it is not in regards to us."

With this, an analogue clock began to chime on the wall. The world leaders filed in, taking their seats. The general commanding Klazun sat down behind his sign. Matthias was the first to speak.

"I would like to bring forth serious concerns, concerns that could impact us all on a global scale." There were some mumbles from the other people in the room before Matthias continued.

"I have reason to believe that General Redgate is housing dozens of weapons capable of mass destruction. And that he has the intent to use them to inflict mass casualties on people around the world."

Victor paled. How? How could he have known? He had to try to defuse the situation, so he stood.

"This is an outrage! You dare you accuse me of such acts! What proof do you have of this?!"

Matthias's voice kept an icy tone. "I have a witness that claims to have seen these weapons, and has also seen the scale at which you intend to use them."

Vernon stood with him, trying to aid. He could tell their other allies were also looking nervous.

"Preposterous. None of us are at war! What possible reason would we have to use these weapons, even if we had them?!"

"I don't know! All I know, is why you used them the first time!" Matthias shouted back.

"What do you mean, _the first time_?!"

Matthias stood. "Twenty years from now, in another time, _you_ started a war. That war raged for two years, and saw destruction unlike the world has ever seen. _Millions_ died from it. The reason?! You wanted to eradicate the monsters once and for all!"

Victor was growing more confused by the second. "Monsters?! What are you talking about? The monsters were sealed over 200 years ago! They're all dead by now!"

Matthias's glare hardened. "They aren't. They're alive and well, and have returned to the surface. They're currently living in a camp just outside the mountain, where they've been for the past couple months."

"This...is very big news, Minister Hemmingway. Why was this not brought up to us last month?" another man queried.

"Because of this exact reason. They knew something that we didn't. I wanted to find out what it was...and now I know."

"But you said this was twenty years in the future? Come on, you can't expect me to believe that! You can't expect any of us to believe that!" Victor countered.

"I do. There is a child, a human child, who grew up and fought in this war. He also died in it. Many times over. This child has an ability to turn back the clock. He did that, for this exact reason. To warn us about _you_. And...before you say it's a child's fantasy...there is actual, scientific evidence of this occurring. What struck me, was that this child claimed you had hundreds...thousands of bombs in the future. But we all know how long it takes to make one. That means...that you had to have started building them decades prior, you just needed an excuse to use them. So tell me...am I wrong?"

Victor bit his inner lip. He was cornered. He knew it, Matthias knew it, and so did everyone else in the room. Victor kept his voice calm.

"So...suppose I did have as many weapons as you are accusing me of...what would you do about it?"

Matthias placed his hands on the table. "I would demand, as would every other nation in this room that desires peace, you dismantle these weapons, and disarm them, so we can preserve our fragile tranquility."

"And if I don't?"

"Then the blood spilled on your nation's dirt will be on your hands."

Victor and Matthias continued to stare each other down. There was an electricity that crackled in the air as they silent standoff endured. Victor then gave a single nod.

"Very well...if it is a war you want...then it is a war you will get. I promise you, Minister Hemmingway...when the first gunshot is fired...it will be heard around the world. The blood that spills will be on your soil, not my own." He stepped back from the table, walking out of the room, leaving a silent audience behind him.

* * *

"Are you there?" the timid voice called in the hospital room. Frisk stared out into the black up at the stars.

"Chara, if you are...just give me a sign…" He was beginning to worry. Usually Chara was always ready to talk when Frisk called her. But he had been doing so for months, and had heard nothing. Where had she gone? Had something happened? Eventually, he did get a response, but not one he imagined. It was a different voice. Slightly garbled, and sounding like it was underwater. It called to him. He looked to the TV sitting in the room. A skeletal face stared back.

"For what it is worth...I wanted to intervene more. I never wanted you to have to go through what you did. Nobody should have to."

Frisk wheeled himself over so he could face the TV directly. "Why didn't you? You're powerful...clearly...so why didn't you do anything?"

Gaster sighed. "That is a question that I do not have an answer for. There is a light in all of this. You must understand that Ausgrid was only doing what he felt needed to be done. I do not entirely agree with his methods...actually, I do not agree with them at all, but his goal is a noble one, and one that he will do whatever it takes to see come true."

"What happened to Chara? You spoke to her all those years ago...or ahead...I don't know which tense to use…"

Gaster chuckled. "I understand. That is actually something I can explain. Chara latched onto your soul due to how much Determination you have. You lost much of that Determination when you reset, due to your present mental state. It is also why you are unable to walk or reset. But now, Chara is no longer attached. She continues to float in the void."

Frisk looked up again. "How can I get that Determination back?" Hearing that she was in the void, it horrified him. Even in what little bit he had been there for, he knew it was a horrid place. He did not wish for her to spend long in there.

"It is near impossible," Gaster sighed. "That is something that I never managed to perfect in my life...as you so well know…"

"Well, then you do something! Pull her out, like Ausgrid did me!" Frisk demanded.

"It is not that simple. You are a living being! Chara is not! She is a spirit. She did not choose to join us as others have before. She refuses to join us now. The only way for her to escape is to move on! But this is also something that she is unwilling to do...or she may not know how. Unfortunately, without her attached to you, I am unable to reach her. ...I am sorry I did not have better news to bring. All I can tell you is...keep looking forward. Everything so far is going according to Ausgrid's plan. Don't stop searching for the light."

The voice echoed as Frisk blinked. When he opened his eyes, the mysterious figure had once more disappeared, leaving Frisk along in the room, the only sound a distant cricket chirping outside.

* * *

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**Apologies this chapter is so late. Things have been real busy for me over the past couple of weeks, I just haven't gotten the energy to write it up. I'll be trying to keep going with this stuff as frequently as I can though.**


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